Everything Has Changed
by GraceFaithHopeLove
Summary: Dahlia "Lia" Evans, is the youngest sister of the Evans sisters Petunia and Lily. Funny how life can change so much in a moment...but those moments are what define our lives.


In the darkness, a soft rain poured gently against the castle. The rain perfectly fit the mood of the visitor who was out of bed and hiding out on the Astronomy Tower. The girl's honey-blonde hair was plastered to her face and her body began to shake uncontrollably while she was heaped in a pile on the floor. She let the rain fall on her because nothing really seemed to matter anymore. None of it. She heard the door to the Astronomy Tower close below but she couldn't hear the footsteps of the person joining her due to the rain. Instead, she sat there with her head down waiting. Waiting and hoping that the devastating blow she had just received was some sort of sick joke; but from the look on his face, she could tell that it was all real.

"Lia," he said with his voice cracking.

"What are you doing here?" Lia sniffled as she looked away from him.

"D—Dumbledore told me…" he began.

"That still doesn't explain why you're here, Remus," Lia scoffed.

Remus didn't say anything. Instead he practically collapsed on the floor beside her. She tried her hardest not to look at him because she knew if she did that she would lose it. Remus said her name gently once more which caused her emerald eyes to flash at him. At that moment, it felt like the flood gates within her had released. Tears began to stream steadily down her cheeks as she flung her arms around Remus who wasn't prepared for her embrace. He stiffened for a moment before he slightly relaxed and brought and arm around the sobbing girl. Tears began to fall down his cheeks as well as he seemed to choke on his sobs, unable to articulate any longer what he wanted to say.

"It can't be true," Lia sobbed. "It's got to be some sort of nightmare that I'm going to wake up from."

"I don't think this works like that," Remus whispered.

"Maybe there's some sort of spell or something…" Lia began.

"You know that no spell can reawaken the dead, Miss Evans," a voice said softly from the darkness.

Lia untangled her arms from around Remus and turned to the darkness where the voice had come from. Albus Dumbledore took a few steps before he pulled out his wand and produced an orb of light that gently lit the area. Lia looked up to the old man who looked rather weary; but when she looked at him the scene from only a few hours ago replayed in her head. A moment that would change her life forever.

~*~Flashback~*~

_Professor McGonagall walked briskly down the corridor to the Headmaster's office as she escorted a rather sleepy Head Girl. It was so early in the morning yet. What could be so important that she was being dragged to the Headmaster's office before 6 am. Lia's hair was pulled back into a loose braid and her bathrobe was wrapped tightly around her. McGonagall turned around and motioned for her to quicken her paced. Lia jogged to catch up with her Head of House before she turned to look at the older woman._

_ "What's going on?" Lia yawned._

_ "Professor Dumbledore requested to meet with you," Professor McGonagall said rather stiffly._

_ "About what?" Lia asked._

_Lia noticed that Professor McGonagall wouldn't even look her direction. She tried to side-step the woman to force her to look at her. Her eyes seemed rather red and puffy. Perhaps, McGonagall hadn't been up very long either. When they finally came to the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office, the Professor said the password and a stone staircase appeared. Lia followed the older woman upstairs when Professor McGonagall stopped just outside the door. _

_ "Would you like me to go in with you?" Professor McGonagall asked._

_ "I think I'll be fine," Lia said._

_ "I'll wait right here in case you should need to…" Professor McGonagall trailed off. _

_Lia looked to Professor McGonagall oddly before stepping across the threshold. The door shut almost immediately after, which caused her to turn around quickly. It had frightened her for a moment. But when she looked around the office, Dumbledore wasn't there. He wasn't behind his desk with his fancy chair._

_ "Professor?" Lia called._

_ "Up here, Miss Evans," a voice called from an upstairs loft._

_The young girl walked up the stairs. When she was up the stairs, she saw the old man looking out the window and into the distance._

_ "You asked to see me?" Lia asked._

_ "Yes, yes I did," Dumbledore said._

_ "A little early, don't you think?" Lia questioned._

_ "I wanted to let you sleep while you could, Dahlia," was all Dumbledore said._

_ "I go by Lia," Lia said._

_Dumbledore turned slowly around, his eyes shining in the dim light._

_ "Perhaps you should sit," Dumbledore commented._

_ "Professor Dumbledore, are you all right?" Lia began._

_ "Unfailingly kind, like your sister," Dumbledore said. "Your dear, dear sister."_

_ "You're not talking about Petunia are you?" Lia yawned._

_ "Miss Evans, something happened tonight," Dumbledore said slowly. "In Godric's Hollow."_

_ "Lily!" Lia gasped._

_ "I'm sorry; she's gone," Dumbledore said quietly as a tear slipped down his cheek. "She and James both were killed by Lord Voldemort."_

_Lia felt her knees grow weak as she collapsed in a heap to the floor. Tears began to stream down her cheeks and she shook her head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Suddenly, it became hard to breath and she fainted into the darkness._

_~*~ End Flashback ~*~_

Lia wiped roughly at her tears. After the scene in Dumbledore's office, she had spent her day in the hospital wing under the effects of a Calming Draught. It kept her nerves somewhat raw; but at least it kept her away from all the prying eyes and sympathetic glances. She could hardly believe her sister, her best friend in life was dead. Remus reached to give her arm a gentle squeeze, but this time she flinched.

"Where were you?" Lia hissed.

"What?" Remus asked.

"Where were you last night?" Lia questioned. "Was it you who gave them up? I haven't heard from you in a while."

"I—I would never…" Remus began.

"The suspect has been apprehended," Dumbledore said.

"Who was it?" Lia hissed

"Professor, let me," Remus said as Dumbledore nodded.

"It—it was Sirius," Remus whispered.

"I don't believe it," Lia screamed jumping to her feet. "You're lying. Sirius was a lot of things, but he wasn't the killer of my sister."

"No, just a traitor," Remus argued.

"Professor, Sirius would never…" Lia began.

"He killed Peter Pettigrew this evening," Dumbledore said softly.

Lia raked her hands through her hair. This was all too much. None of it made any sense. Sirius betraying them? James and Lily dead?

"What about Harry?" Lia blurted.

"He's staying with your other sister," Dumbledore said.

"Petunia? Are you crazy? She hates him," Lia scoffed.

"It was our only option," Dumbledore responded.

"What about me?" Lia questioned.

"You have yet to finish your schooling. This is for the best," Dumbledore stated.

Lia shook her head. Her poor nephew. Well, Harry. She had two nephews after all; but she knew that there was no way that Petunia and Vernon would treat Harry as they did Dudley. Dumbledore's decision was a terrible one. The boy would never know of his true heritage. Partly, because Petunia and Vernon wouldn't allow him to be the _freak_ he was and partly because Lia already wasn't allowed anywhere near the Dursley family. How was this supposed to work? How was she supposed to go on? There were too many questions and thoughts running through her head, clouding her thinking straight.

"This doesn't make any sense," Lia whispered.

"Perhaps it would be helpful to talk about it," Dumbledore said.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Lia said.

"I like to think every story best starts at the beginning," Dumbledore said.

The beginning…that seemed so long ago.

**A/N:** This was a random idea that popped into my head. I know that a third Evans sister has been overdone before, but I just want your thoughts on whether or not I should continue with this. I usually write more, but I just wanted to get the idea out there. Also, if I do continue, the story is going to go back in time and fill in the gaps before moving forward. So, thanks for reading and I appreciate your response!


End file.
